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Predators and Prey
}} |coverA = BuffyS8-23a.jpg |released = March 4, 2009 |pages = 22 |series = Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight |number = 23 |previous = Swell |next = Safe |publisher = Dark Horse Comics |writer = Drew Z. Greenberg |penciller = Georges Jeanty |editor = Scott Allie |coverart = Jo Chen Variant cover: Georges Jeanty & Michelle Madsen |inker = Andy Owens |colorist = Michelle Madsen |letterer = Richard Starkings & ComiCraft's Jimmy Betancourt |coverB = Btvs23b.jpg }} is the twenty-third issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series. Written by Drew Z. Greenberg and illustrated by Georges Jeanty, it was originally published on March 4, 2009 by Dark Horse Comics. Synopsis It's Buffy — and Andrew — on a mission in Italy… together! Awkward? Yes! Since Harmony's television stunt, the ensuing of general vampire-love from the masses, and the destruction of the Scotland base, operations at Slayer headquarters have been somewhat strained. Rogue Slayers — Simone and her gang — have not been helping Slayer-civilian relations with their attacks against the military, bank robbing, and occasional snitching at Hot Topic. Now, Andrew has a lead on how to gain intel on Simone's plans… but he has to go to Italy — now! With Xander and Willow busy holding together their Slayer legions Buffy seems to be the only one with an open schedule to act as Andrew's backup. Hours of travel… just Buffy and Andrew… Really?"Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 #23: Predators and Prey". Dark Horse Comics. Retrieved December 12, 2017‎. Summary Andrew runs through the halls of the Slayers base of operations desperately searching for Buffy. He finds Buffy with Xander and Willow going over data about the new rise in vampire interest caused by Harmony. Hoping to cheer up the group, Andrew informs them that he has found Nisha, one of Simone Doffler's lieutenant of rogue Slayers, outside of Milan. Nisha had been messing around with demons and got her self snared in a Ragna demon's nest. Pairing the information with reports of a gang of women robbing banks, military bases, Hot Topics, and roaming the country side terrorizing villagers, he feels certain that this will lead them to Simone. However, they must retrieve Nisha within 36 hours; otherwise the Ragna demon will feed on her. Without hesitating Buffy plans a trip with Andrew and leaves everything else in the hands of Xander and Willow, who are surprised that Buffy would be willing to road trip alone with Andrew. On the way to the location Andrew talks the whole time, jumping from topic to topic, with Buffy only engaging the conversation when Daniel Craig is brought up as both of their favorite James Bond. Shortly thereafter, Andrew pulls off the road as they near the lair of the Ragna demon, which is a web, composed of iron and steel piping and siding with Nisha poised at the top in a containment field. When confronted, Nisha turns spiteful and makes threats for herself to be released, stating that none of them would be there if Buffy and Andrew hadn't created the mess. Nisha explains that Ragna demons died out in the eleventh century and only recently came back into existence because someone spent all their free time in Italy performing recombinant DNA experiments to breed the spider demon back into existence, namely, Andrew. At this reveal, Andrew releases Nisha from the containment field and defends himself by arguing that it shouldn't really matter how Nisha was brought into custody, simply that she was. As Buffy and Andrew argue over him lying to her, Simone is teleported to the scene, knocking the two down from behind. Buffy tries to talk Simone into coming back with them but Simone has other plans; she stuns the Ragna demon and teleports herself, Nisha and the demon to an undisclosed near by location. Andrew and Buffy make their way down the web discussing how Andrew has come a long way and matured a lot but that he should have handled the situation differently even though he felt responsible for Simone's rebellion. Since Andrew equipped the demon with some genetic modifications, specifically, radioactive isotopes, they can track the location Simone teleported to, an island off the coast. They arrive there by boat where they are met by a young girl on the docks, who explains how everyone in the town fled to the mainland when Simone and her Slayers arrived. As Andrew and Buffy travel deeper into the city they trace the signal to an opera house, which is a trap set by the rogue Slayers to negotiate a trade: Andrew for the Ragna Spider demon. Simone explains that she wants Andrew because she has an authority problem, and since he was her Watcher and a bit of drill sergeant at that, she wants revenge, plus, she says, he was incredibly annoying. Not wanting to let her friend go, Buffy engages Simone to a fencing duel, where Buffy bests Simone, until Simone pulls a gun on her. Buffy lays down her weapon and tells Simone to keep the Ragna demon, she'll leave them alone for the time being if she is allowed to walk away with Andrew. Just as Simone is about to shoot Buffy, the Italy squad of Slayers shows up to rescue their Watcher, Andrew. Buffy tries to convince the Italy Squad to engage in combat with the Rogue Slayers, but is talked out of it since Simone's team has guns and everybody wants to avoid a firefight. Buffy acquiescence to better judgment, takes Simone's gun and turns it on her. Instead of shooting Simone, she shoots the lock on the Ragna demon's cage, letting the demon loose on the Rogue Slayers and the Italy Squad evacuates. Back at their base of operations, Buffy tells Andrew that he should feel proud of what he has accomplished, and how he was willing to lay down his life for the innocent and greater good. Andrew apologizes to Buffy for lying, and Buffy tells him to get used to screwing up for good reasons — he's part of the family. Continuity *Buffy and Andrew share their interest in actor Daniel Craig, to whom Buffy had demonstrated attraction in Anywhere but Here. *Andrew notes he used to be Simone's watcher (The Long Way Home, Part Two), while Buffy recalls she used to be from Rona's squad (The Chain). *Andrew mentions meeting Angel, as he did in "Damage" and "The Girl in Question". *Andrew recalls when Buffy cut her hair in episode "Gone". *Simone mentions the televised scene in which Harmony kills Soledad in her reality show, convincing the world the Slayers were the enemy (Harmonic Divergence). *Buffy declares she's "really not a fan of guns," as she's expressed before in "Flooded" and "As You Were", and will again in Retreat, Part Two and Twilight, Part One. *Buffy mentions knowing Xander for eight years ("Welcome to the Hellmouth"). Appearances Individuals *Angel *Charlotte *Simone Doffler *Rupert Giles *Alexander Harris *Harmony Kendall *Nisha *Rona *Willow Rosenberg *Spike *Buffy Summers *Andrew Wells Organizations and titles *Scooby Gang *Slayer *Slayer Organization *Simone Doffler's gang *Watcher *Witch Species *Human *Ragna demon Locations *Italy **Milan *Scotland **Slayer Organization command center Behind the scenes Production *Georges Jeanty's variant cover homages James Bond movie posters. Distribution *'' '' was the tenth best selling comic issue in its publishing month, with 64,108 sales in March 2009 at comic specialty stores."Top 300 Comics Actual--March 2009". ICv2, April 14, 2009. Collections *''Predators and Prey'' *''Season 8 Library Edition, Volume 3'' *''Omnibus: Season 8, Volume 2'' Pop culture references *Buffy mentions retail chain Hot Topic. *During his monologue, Andrew talks to Buffy about: **who would win in a battle between a Jedi and Superman; **fictional character Vanity Smurf, from The Smurfs franchise; **a scene from Battlestar Galactica; **a scene from V for Vendetta; **the cast from Terminator franchise; **political activist Helen Keller; **actor Heath Ledger; **dressing like fictional character Don Draper; **Diddy in reality show Making the Band; **''Jem'' television series opening theme; **and actor Daniel Craig as his favorite James Bond. *Andrew discusses actor Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, who Buffy recognizes from the movie Mrs. Doubtfire. *Nisha wears a shirt illustrated with the musician David Bowie. *Buffy calls the Ragna demon "Charlotte", in reference to the children's novel "Charlotte's Web". *Simone mistakes science fiction media franchises Star Trek and Stargate. *Simone calls Buffy great and powerful, in reference to fictional character Wizard of Oz. *Buffy recognizes when Andrew quotes fictional character Spock: "the needs of the many outweigh needs of the one." *Andrew has posters for the movies Barbarella and Dr. No. International titles *'French:' Les Prédateurs et la Proie ( ) *'Italian:' Predatori e Prede ( ) *'Russian:' Хищники и жертвы ( ) *'Turkish:' Avcılar ve Av, Kısım Üç (Hunters and Hunting, Part Three) Gallery Cover artwork B8-23-00b.jpg|Jo Chen main cover B8-23-01b.jpg|Georges Jeanty variant Preview B8-23-P1.jpg B8-23-P2.jpg References nl:Predators and Prey Category:Buffy comics Category:Season Eight